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J.Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University. The materials described here are physically available in our
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The Nathaniel Pettit Joy Collection (1913-1919 [Bulk: 1918-1919], undated) consists primarily of letters he and his wife Mary received from two New Jersey soldiers and two New Jersey sailors written to Nathaniel Pettit Joy and his wife Mary of Groveville, New Jersey. The soldiers, Raymond "Bud" Danley and William "Bill" Inman were privates in the Headquarters Company of the 309th Infantry Infantry, 78th Division of the American Expeditionary Force; they wrote from England, France and Fort Dix (New Jersey); the sailors were A. C. Griffiths sailor aboard the battleship USS ARIZONA in 1918-1919; and Cousin Edwin, who served aboard the USS SIBONEY, a hospital ship, 1918-1919; the collection also includes several miscellaneous items, including French postcards, photographs of unidentified soldiers and sailors, and a letter written from a Cpl. Walter P. Rogers, who was a guard at a Russian prisoner of war camp in Chemnitz, Germany early in 1919.

Collection of WWI correspondence (1918-1919, undated) from four New Jersey soldiers and sailors written to Nathaniel Pettit Joy or his wife, Mary, of Groveville, New Jersey. Private Raymond “Bud Danley, a member of the Signal Corps in the 309th Infantry, 78th Division, wrote from England and France. Private William “Bill Inman, also with the 309th Infantry, 78th Division, wrote from Fort Dix in New Jersey and France. A.C. “Griff” Griffiths, a sailor onboard the USS Arizona, wrote to Mary Joy in 1918. A cousin identified only as “Edwin” wrote to Mary Joy from aboard the USS Siboney in 1918 and 1919. Also included are French postcards and a letter written to Danley from a soldier who is a guard at a Russian prisoner of war camp in Germany.

Nathaniel Pettit Joy (born 1874) and his wife Mary were living in Groveville, Mercer County, New Jersey, during World War I and they received numerous letters from friends and a cousin from New Jersey who were soldiers or sailors serving in the war. Joy was a storekeeper and some of the correspondents were former employees of his.

Nathaniel Pettit Joy was born in 1874. According to the 1910 census, he was a weaver in a cotton mill, but he was working as a storekeeper by 1918. Military records show that Joy registered for the draft in 1918, at the age of 44. However, Joy never enlisted in the military. It is unknown if this is due to his age or the conclusion of the war. At the time of World War I, Joy was married and living in Groveville, New Jersey. Of the men who wrote to the Pettit Joys, three were former employees, and one was a cousin of Joy’s wife, Mary.

Private Raymond “Bud” Danley served with the Signal Corps in the Headquarters Company, 309th Infantry Regiment, 78th Division, American Expeditionary Force. According to his draft registration card, he lived in Groveville, New Jersey and was employed as a clerk at the time of World War I. Danley served in France throughout the war. He was wounded by a German shell and recuperated in a Paris hospital. Danley ultimately recovered from his injury and returned to active duty.

Private William “Bill” Inman also served in the Headquarters Company of the 309th Infantry Regiment, 78th Division, American Expeditionary Force. His letters suggest that he enlisted with Private Danley. Inman was stationed in Fort Dix, New Jersey until his outfit shipped to France in August of 1918. In November 1918, Inman saw action in France. By December of the same year, he was working in an Army post office in France. In one of his last letters to Pettit Joy, he noted that he would be retuning to the United States soon.

A.C. “Griff” Griffiths was a sailor onboard the USS ARIZONA in 1918.The USS ARIZONA was used as a gunnery training ship. During World War I, it guarded American coastline from Virginia to New York. Following the armistice, the ARIZONA escorted President Woodrow Wilson to the Paris Peace Conference. Griffiths was onboard the ship during this time, and he wrote to the Pettit Joys about this experience.

A sailor known only as “Cousin Edwin” wrote to Mary Pettit Joy from aboard the USS SIBONEY. The SIBONEY was a troop transport ship that was requisitioned from the Ward Line and Cuba Mail Steamship Company. Edwin discusses the severity of the flu aboard ship and funerals at sea; he also records rescuing seamen from torpedoed ships.

Cpl. Walter P. Rogers wrote a very interesting letter to Mary Pettit Joy concerning his postwar assignment as a guard at a Russian prisoner of war camp, in Chemnitz, Germany, including his lengthy railroad trip from France, Luxembourg, and Germany; and containing his observations of life in occupied Cologne and Chemnitz in 1919.

January 15, 2012, 1 archival box; 90 items; 0.25 cubic feet; Collection contains World War I correspondence (1918-1919, undated) from four New Jersey soldiers and sailors written to Nathaniel Pettit Joy or his wife Mary of Groveville, New Jersey. Private Raymond “Bud” Danley was with the Signal Corps in the 309th Infantry, 78th Division and he wrote from England and France; Private William “Bill” Inman was also with the 309th Infantry, 78th Division and he writes from Fort Dix in New Jersey and from France; A. C. “Griff” Griffiths writes from the USS Arizona in 1918; and “Edwin” writes to his cousin Mary Joy from onboard the USS Siboney in 1918 and 1919. Also included are French postcards, photographs and a letter written to Danley from a soldier who is a guard at a Russian prisoners of war camp in Germany. Purchased with Sara Batten Endowment funds from Dave Stewart of Between the Covers Rare Books in Gloucester City, N.J.

Acquisition Information

Purchased with Sara Batten Endowment funds from Dave Stewart of Between the Covers Rare Books in Gloucester City, N.J.

Access Restrictions

No restrictions

Copyright Notice

Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.

Danley, Raymond (Pvt., American Expeditionary Force) Headquarters Company, 309th Infantry Regiment, 78th Division, at Epoisses, near Semur, France; letter with envelope to Pettit Joy (2/11/1919) Holograph. 1 item, 3 p. Note: Sleeping accommodations; "slept in a ditch"; Bill's visit to Paris; he was probably led astray by the girls before he reached the railroad station exit; wants to get home (item 11)

Inman, Bill (Pvt., American Expeditionary Force) while stationed at Camp Dix, New Jersey; letter with envelope to Pettit Joy (4/14/1918) Holograph. 1 item, 3 p. Note: YMCA stationery; ". . . If there is a man in this world that would like to kill the Germans, it is me . . . " (item 4)

Inman, Bill (Pvt., American Expeditionary Force); AEF Field Service Postcard to Pettit Joy (6/23/1918) Holograph. 1 item, 1 p. Note: Printed form to parents saying "I am quite well. . . . I have received no letter from you for a long time". (item 8)

Inman, Bill (Pvt., American Expeditionary Force) Headquarters Company, 309th Infantry Regiment, somewhere in France; letter with envelope to Pettit Joy (10/4/1918) Holograph. 1 item, 2 p. Note: YMCA stationery; has sent home a knife made from bullets picked up in no-man's land and buttons from a dead German". (item 17)

Inman, Bill (Pvt., American Expeditionary Force) Headquarters Company, 309th Infantry Regiment, somewhere in France; letter with envelope to Pettit Joy (11/1/1918) Holograph. 1 item, 3 p. Note: YMCA stationery; "has a close call two nights ago. A big shell struck right in front of me and went off tearing the trees out of the ground and I didn't get a scratch". (item 20)

Inman, Bill (Pvt., American Expeditionary Force) Headquarters Company, 309th Infantry Regiment, Epoisses, France; letter with envelope to Pettit Joy (1/3/1919) Holograph. 1 item, 4 p. Note: American YMCA stationery; postmarked 1/9/1919; jokes: "The Germans have taken castor oil and the ones in reserve got the wind of it and there soon was something moving in the rear. . . ." and "Why is a cootie not like a rattle snake? Because a snake goes along on its own belly and a cootie don't care whose belly they go on." (item 1)

Inman, Bill (Pvt., American Expeditionary Force) Headquarters Company, 309th Infantry Regiment, Epoisses, France (Cote d'Or); letter with envelope to Pettit Joy (1/17/1919) Holograph. 1 item, 3 p. Note: Knights of Columbus stationery; Asks "What do you think of the German's buttons? [recently sent as a gift] Well, he will never talk about the war. He is sleeping somewhere here in France. That is the place for him." (item 3)

Griffiths, A. C., USS ARIZONA, Box T, c/o Postmaster, N.Y.; letter with envelope to Pettit Joy (11/3/1918) Holograph. 1 item, 3 p. Note: Gives the Germans about 3 months longer to hold out; mentions Turkey's withdrawal from war ["a good stunt"]; hears that all the family has the "flu"; Elmer has went to Canada to work. (item 7)

Griffiths, A. C., USS ARIZONA, Box T, Portland, England; letter with envelope to Pettit Joy (12/12/1918) Holograph. 1 item, 2 p. Note: "I am over here with the Bloody Englishmen"; leave tomorrow to "meet the President and will escort him to France"; and then rumors say we will head home; invites Pat to visit the ship when it reaches New York. (item 8)

Cousin Edwin, USS SIBONEY, Hospital Corps, Hoboken, New Jersey; letter with envelope to his cousin Mary (Mrs. N. Pettit) Joy (6/23/1918) Holograph. 1 item, 2 p. Note: Arrived yesterday; carried more than 3,000 troops over last trip; on return trip sited 5 empty life rafts from the USS PRESIDENT LINCOLN which had been torpedoes 31 May; on 21 June we picked up 2 lifeboats with 46 men aboard from the British (formerly Russian) SS DIVINSK which had been torpedoes 18 June; discusses watch routines; sleeping with clothes on in war zones; (item 2)

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Danley, Raymond (Pvt., American Expeditionary Force) Headquarters Company, 309th Infantry Regiment, 78th Division, at Epoisses, near Semur, France; letter with envelope to Pettit Joy (2/11/1919) Holograph. 1 item, 3 p. Note: Sleeping accommodations; "slept in a ditch"; Bill's visit to Paris; he was probably led astray by the girls before he reached the railroad station exit; wants to get home (item 11)

Inman, Bill (Pvt., American Expeditionary Force) while stationed at Camp Dix, New Jersey; letter with envelope to Pettit Joy (4/14/1918) Holograph. 1 item, 3 p. Note: YMCA stationery; ". . . If there is a man in this world that would like to kill the Germans, it is me . . . " (item 4)

Inman, Bill (Pvt., American Expeditionary Force); AEF Field Service Postcard to Pettit Joy (6/23/1918) Holograph. 1 item, 1 p. Note: Printed form to parents saying "I am quite well. . . . I have received no letter from you for a long time". (item 8)

Inman, Bill (Pvt., American Expeditionary Force) Headquarters Company, 309th Infantry Regiment, somewhere in France; letter with envelope to Pettit Joy (10/4/1918) Holograph. 1 item, 2 p. Note: YMCA stationery; has sent home a knife made from bullets picked up in no-man's land and buttons from a dead German". (item 17)

Inman, Bill (Pvt., American Expeditionary Force) Headquarters Company, 309th Infantry Regiment, somewhere in France; letter with envelope to Pettit Joy (11/1/1918) Holograph. 1 item, 3 p. Note: YMCA stationery; "has a close call two nights ago. A big shell struck right in front of me and went off tearing the trees out of the ground and I didn't get a scratch". (item 20)

Inman, Bill (Pvt., American Expeditionary Force) Headquarters Company, 309th Infantry Regiment, Epoisses, France; letter with envelope to Pettit Joy (1/3/1919) Holograph. 1 item, 4 p. Note: American YMCA stationery; postmarked 1/9/1919; jokes: "The Germans have taken castor oil and the ones in reserve got the wind of it and there soon was something moving in the rear. . . ." and "Why is a cootie not like a rattle snake? Because a snake goes along on its own belly and a cootie don't care whose belly they go on." (item 1)

Inman, Bill (Pvt., American Expeditionary Force) Headquarters Company, 309th Infantry Regiment, Epoisses, France (Cote d'Or); letter with envelope to Pettit Joy (1/17/1919) Holograph. 1 item, 3 p. Note: Knights of Columbus stationery; Asks "What do you think of the German's buttons? [recently sent as a gift] Well, he will never talk about the war. He is sleeping somewhere here in France. That is the place for him." (item 3)

Griffiths, A. C., USS ARIZONA, Box T, c/o Postmaster, N.Y.; letter with envelope to Pettit Joy (11/3/1918) Holograph. 1 item, 3 p. Note: Gives the Germans about 3 months longer to hold out; mentions Turkey's withdrawal from war ["a good stunt"]; hears that all the family has the "flu"; Elmer has went to Canada to work. (item 7)

Griffiths, A. C., USS ARIZONA, Box T, Portland, England; letter with envelope to Pettit Joy (12/12/1918) Holograph. 1 item, 2 p. Note: "I am over here with the Bloody Englishmen"; leave tomorrow to "meet the President and will escort him to France"; and then rumors say we will head home; invites Pat to visit the ship when it reaches New York. (item 8)

Cousin Edwin, USS SIBONEY, Hospital Corps, Hoboken, New Jersey; letter with envelope to his cousin Mary (Mrs. N. Pettit) Joy (6/23/1918) Holograph. 1 item, 2 p. Note: Arrived yesterday; carried more than 3,000 troops over last trip; on return trip sited 5 empty life rafts from the USS PRESIDENT LINCOLN which had been torpedoes 31 May; on 21 June we picked up 2 lifeboats with 46 men aboard from the British (formerly Russian) SS DIVINSK which had been torpedoes 18 June; discusses watch routines; sleeping with clothes on in war zones; (item 2)